more weight in back trim pockets or dumpable?

[tep]

This is for vest or back inflate BCDs...

I've always thought that it was better to have most of my weight in the dumpable weight pouches instead of the back trim pockets.

Now that I'm just starting the move from a vest style (Aeris Atmos) to a back inflate (ScubaPro KnightHawk), I'm rethinking that. The back trim pockets are higher up the body than the dumpable pouches. Now I'm thinking that if I end up too feet low, I might want put more weight in the higher trim pockets? I'm actually pretty level with the front and back even, at the moment. But as I cut down weight...

Since I've been cutting down the weight I need, it doesn't seem that important that I have more dumpable weight than in the non-dumpable trim pockets.

I'm down to 20 lbs with a HP100, 7mm wetsuit, etc. I could maybe end up with 12 in the trim pockets and 6-8 in the pouches. I'm at 24 with an AL80, which is pretty floaty with 800 psi at 15fsw.

So, more in the front pockets that are dumpable and will help keep me belly down(?), or even, or more in the back that might make me tend to turtle?

Or an I really, really over-thinking this?

 

[AJ McFinnagain]

You'll just need to play with the distribution to see what works for you. Personally, I do 40% in my trim pockets and 60% in my dump pouch incase I need to ditch weights. Those proportions work for me. My wife is 50/50 on the distribution.

 

[Neilwood]

I would put the weight where it is best suited for trim to minimise your need to move to maintain horizontal trim.

The only thing I would watch is that you are not putting too much weight in the dumpable pockets because IF you need to dump weight, you only want it to be enough to raise you at a reasonable rate (buoyant ascent from depth) or float you at the surface. Too much weight in the dumpable pockets = shooting upwards like a missile if dumped with possible DCI issues

 

[dumpsterDiver]

J

I would put the weight where it is best suited for trim to minimise your need to move to maintain horizontal trim.

The only thing I would watch is that you are not putting too much weight in the dumpable pockets because IF you need to dump weight, you only want it to be enough to raise you at a reasonable rate (buoyant ascent from depth) or float you at the surface. Too much weight in the dumpable pockets = shooting upwards like a missile if dumped with possible DCI issues

too much dumpable lead?

So in the most serious emergency the diver should make sure he can NOT dump enough lead to risk DCI? I would think his primary objective would be to survive a BC failure or a scuba failure. If the front pockets are independent then could he not dump them individually? I think not drowning is the first priority, avoid DCI the second and fine tuning trim a distant third. As a new diver modifies his gear, these are what I would look at.

 

[AJ McFinnagain]

J


too much dumpable lead?

So in the most serious emergency the diver should make sure he can NOT dump enough lead to risk DCI? I would think his primary objective would be to survive a BC failure or a scuba failure. If the front pockets are independent then could he not dump them individually? I think not drowning is the first priority, avoid DCI the second and fine tuning trim a distant third. As a new diver modifies his gear, these are what I would look at.

Seeing as you should have a dive buddy there to assist in an emergency, you don't want to rocket to the surface. They supply air and lift as well with their bc. A lot of people dive over weighted for some reason.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Being over weighted is different than being overweighted and being unable to ditch ballast.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Seeing as you should have a dive buddy there to assist in an emergency, you don't want to rocket to the surface. They supply air and lift as well with their bc. A lot of people dive over weighted for some reason.

Usually because their instruction did not cover proper weighting. Or the instructor doesn't know how to teach it.

 

[boulderjohn]

I used to own a ScubaPro Nighthawk, and I found I was able to achieve excellent trim easily if I had the same amount of weight in the trim pockets as in the waist pouches. Ideally, when wearing a 3mm suit and an AL 80 tank in salt water, I would put 2 pounds in each, for a total of 8 pounds. On many dive boats, however, 2-pound weights were not an option, so I would end up doing whatever I could with whatever they had to try to come as close as possible to that even distribution without getting excessively overweighted.

 

[Belzelbub]

As others have said, see what works for you.

I use 60/40 main/trim. Both my front/main pouches and my trim pouches are ditchable. Though it is certainly easier to ditch my main weight than my trim weight.